BY CLIVK LORD, K. L.S. 7 



obtained water in 1777, was farther to the north, the larger 

 rivulet at the end of the beach past Hewn Stone Head. 



The explorers found no traces of any European vessel 

 having been in the bay since the Resolution and Discovery. 

 From some of the trunks of the trees which had been cut 

 down during the visit of these vessels in 1777 shoots had 

 grown to a length of twenty-five feet, with a circumference 

 of fourteen inches. ^ 



At daylight on the twenty-second a party, under th':; 

 command of Mr. Christian and the gunner, was sent ashore 

 to commence the wooding and watering operations. There 

 was so much surf on the beach that the wood had to be 

 rafted off in bundles to the boat. During the day the 

 botanists were engaged in examining the surrounding country, 

 and Mr. Nelson is reported as being greatly impressed with 

 the size of the trees. 



On the following day, the twenty-third, the surf was 

 greater, and interfered to a considerable extent with the 

 wooding and watering parties. Bligh's narrative states thav 

 whilst but pocr results were obtained with the seine, many 

 rock cod were caught from the vessel by means of hook and 

 line. Mention is also made of the birds — several eagles, 

 beautiful blue-plumaged herons, a great variety of parra- 

 keets, and a few oyster catchers and gulls. In addition, there 

 were ducks on the lake. 



From the twenty-fifth to the twenty-ninth of August the 

 weather was very unsettled, and not much work could be 

 done. A sawpit was dug, and a number of men were em- 

 ployed in sawing wood into planks. Fish were caught in 

 fairly large numbers, and the seine yielded better results. 

 The anglers were also successful in "the lake." 



On the trunk of a dead tree an inscription "A.D. 1773" 

 was noticed. The figures were very distinct, even the slips 

 made by the knife being discernible. This inscription must 

 have been cut by Furneaux's men fifteen years before. 



Bligh records that upon Nelson's recommendation he 

 fixed upon the east side of the bay as the most suitable 

 situation in which to plant a number of fruit trees. Apart 

 from the fact that the undergrowth was less in this locality, 

 the soil was also good, but one factor which Bligh was afraid 

 of was the danger of fire, as the natives were in the habit 

 of setting fire to the bush, and in the dry season these lires 

 spread in all directions. However, having chosen the most 

 favourable situation, the following wei-e planted: — Three 



